Fire-escape



v Patented 001:. 2'7, 1885-.

T. D. MGKINZIE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

HHH

H INVENTOR:

BY M

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES (NQ Mod el.)

aaaaaaaaa aaa UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE;

THOll/IAS DUN CAN MOKINZIE, OF COLORADO, TEXAS.

Fl RE -ESCAPE.

QBPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.329,190, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed June 26, 1685. Serial No. 169,894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS DUNCAN Mo KINZIE. a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Colorado, in the county of Mitchell and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to that class of fireescapes which are intendedto rescue persons from a burning house by taking them from the windowsof the house to the ground; and the object of the invention is toprovide means whereby lowering the car may be made more safe and easy tothe operators, whereby the occupants of the car may be shielded fromsmoke and flames bursting from lower windows while the car descends,whereby the shield may be housed when not in use, and in means wherebythe use of this fire-escape for burglars may be prevented.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination ofparts forming a fire-escape hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a frontelevation of a portion of a house, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the car on a larger scale, and Fig. 3 is a detail ofthe upper roller. Fig. 4 is a view of the endless chain for raising andloweringthe car provided with rounds or bars.

A represents the front of a house of any number of stories.

B is the escape-car, having an open back or doorway into which personsmay step from the windows of a house. I

O is a shield, consisting of a series of sheetmetal slats hinged to foldtogether into a small space at the threshold of the doorway, so thatpassengers may step over it in entering the car, and is fitted to bedrawn up in the doorway to close the same, and to be secured to across-bar, D, by means of rings or hooks E on the upper slat, adapted toengage holders F, which close into the bar D when not in use. This baris for the further purpose of serving as a support by which passengersmay steady themselves while standing in the car at a dangerous heightfrom the ground.

G' represents a pulley journaled in a brack et, H, which maybepermanently or removably secured to the side of the house above thehighest window, and J is an endless chain mounted on the pulley toextend its loop to the ground.

L represents weights attached to the chain on the side thereof opposedto the car to balance the car and to some extent to balance the load inthe car. To this end the weights may over-balance the car by about onehundred and twenty-five pounds, as that is supposed to be the nearestaverage to one persons weight. If the car is to be especially adapted tocarrying more persons or a heavier load, more weight should be added toas nearly balance them as possible,-in order that it may be easier tothe rider to control the descent of the car.

M is a brake bearing on the pulley or roller G, and provided with arope, N, reaching to the ground,depending close by the path of the car,whereby any person in the car or an attendant on the ground may stop theroller and hold the car at any point, or a person on the ground mayprevent the weight which descends as the car ascends from descending toorapidly in hauling up the car when the pas sengers have got out of it.The weights may be about one hundred pounds each to advantage, and anattendant on the ground may look up and see how many persons get intothe car, and then attach as many weights as will nearly balance theload. By this means the danger of falling or of injury from concussionby a too rapid descent is avoided, and the work on the brake is reducedto a minimum. In general, the car should be kept suspended above thehighest window, and the chain should be weighted for one passenger. Thenthe first one who discovers the house to be on fire may descend andattend the foot of the chain for others. The persons in the car mayreach the weight-chain and let themselves down by permitting it to risehand over hand,and dispense with the brake. The car alone should weighless than one man. In fact, it should be as light as possible, and mayprobably be made to weigh less than fifty pounds and yet be strongenough to carry three or four persons.

To prevent burglars from using this escape as a means for entering thehouse, I provide a bell, P, to be sounded by a pin-and-leverarrangement, P, on the axle of the pulley G.

The wheelG, over which the chain J runs, is journaled on a stationarystud, G, to the end of which one end of a spring, Q, is secured. To theother end of this spring the bell P is attached by its shank Q. Thisshank extends to one side of the spring into the path of the 'pin P, andhangs in a plane radial to the stud G, whereby the bell is so hung as tobe rung by its shank yielding to the movement of the pin P when thelatter revolves in either di reetion. WVhenever the chain is movedenough to turn the pulley, the bell will sound. This is also valuableasan alarm for the household.

To utilize my endless chain and weights for laboring men, I may providea mere frame consisting of three or more bars, D D D, attaehed acrossbetween the chains like ladderrounds, about five feet apart, the bar Dserving as before to hold to, the bar D to stand on and for men below tohold to, and the bar D" for the lower men to stand on. I also providemeans for attaching a firemans hose to the crossbar D, as shown in Fig.2, so that firemen and hose may be raised opposite to any window, andthere direct the stream of water into the fire.

Q represents the hose-fastener, consisting of an iron strap or hasphinged atR to the crossbar D, then curving upward to receive the hose orpipe, and provided with a thumbscrew, S, by which to make it secure. The

hasp is notched at one side, so that it may be disengaged from the screwS to swing back and receive the hose. By this means a pipe may befastened pointing toward the house and be raised opposite to any window,and there do service without a man nearer to it than the ground. Othercross-bars may be placed at the sides of the ear lower than bar D forthe use of children. to the chains in any usual manner.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The eombination,ina fire-eseape, of a car open at the rear andprovided with a crossbar,D,and holders F, anda series of slats,O, fittedto slide vertically in the said rear opening, hinged to fold together,and provided with hooks E, adapted to engage the holders F,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the stud G, fixed to the bracket H, the pulley G,mounted to revolve thereon and provided with the projecting pin P, thespring Q", attached at one end to the stud G, and the bell P, havingashank, Q, provided with a portion projecting to one side of the springQ into the path of the pin P, such projection hanging in a plane radialto the stud G, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of an elevator-chain, a car provided with aClOSS-b2tl,D, a hasp, Q,

hinged at one end to the said bar and perforated and notched at one sideof its other end, and a thumb-screw, S, substantially as shown anddescribed, whereby a hose or its pipe may be clamped to the said bar tobe elevated, as

set forth.

THOMAS DUN CAN MCKINZIE. Witnesses: I

\VALTER A. POWELL, MACK SHANKs.

The weights may be attached 0

